Two puppies dumped with their dead siblings will spend Christmas in new homes

Two Cockapoo puppies who were found dumped in a cage with the bodies of their dead siblings have had their lives turned around after being rescued.

Bramble and Crumble were just six-weeks old when they were found abandoned in a cage behind an old sofa and surrounded by rubble, a wheelbarrow and discarded ladders in a remote bard in Gorefield, Cambridgeshire.

The puppies were found by a dog walker whose pet sniffed out the puppies but sadly two of the litter had already died. It is believed the young puppies had been there for at least two days with no food or water.

Bramble and Crumble were extremely thin and dehydrated when rescued by the RSPCA in December last year. The others sadly died of starvation and dehydration.

RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs, who rescued the puppies, said: “Last Christmas, Bramble and Crumble were weak and scared after being cruelly dumped and left to starve. This year, I’m thrilled to hear they will be spending Christmas in loving new homes.

“As RSPCA inspectors we sadly see some awful things that happen to animals, but this is one of the worst I have had to deal with. I was devastated by what happened to these puppies. These poor pups were abandoned in a cage in such a remote place that the chances of them ever being found, which is a very chilling thought.

“It’s just fortunate that someone was out walking their dogs which picked up the pups’ scent, because if not the chances are there would have been four dead puppies in the cage, had they been left undiscovered any longer.

“I just can’t imagine how truly heart-wrenching it would have been to see the poor puppies lying on top of their dead siblings. How could anyone be so callous to dump any animal in this way.”

Bramble and Crumble went into the care of RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre in Wimblington where they were cared for over Christmas. As they were so young, they needed round the clock care from the staff and fosterer until they were ready to be rehomed.

Aimee Cumpson and her partner James Williams in Peterborough adopted Bramble, now named Coco in January this year (2019). The female dog is now nine months old and is a happy and friendly puppy.

Aimee said: “It just amazes me how people can do things like that. She’s this perfect little dog. How could anyone abandon her? After everything she’s been through, she’s got no issues at all.

“She’s very playful and my boys love playing with her. She’s so adorable and just amazing really. Coco is so good, and she has such a good temperament considering what has happened to her. I don’t think it’s affected her at all.”

Crumble now names Maximum, was adopted by Andrea Bywater and her family. The little black Cockapoo puppy was weaker than his sister and very subdued when Andrea adopted him – but now he has well and truly come out of his shell.

Andrea who lives in Downham Market, said: “I think his sister Bramble is the one that kept him going. He was the weaker one of the two. He was so subdued when we got him, and she was really lively. Now we call him Looney Tune as he’s so energetic, but we love him.

“He loves the seaside and going away in our caravan, he loves paddling in the river and we live on a farm and he lives to go in the tractor with my husband. We had a Labrador before who sadly passed away in July last year and we didn’t think we would get another dog because it was so upsetting losing him but they we saw Max and we just fell in love with him.”

Andrea explained that she doesn’t know if Max remembers what happened to him but as he was abandoned in a cage, she doesn’t want to put him in a cage or crate and risk him feeling scared like he must have felt then.

She said: “It’s just one of those things you can’t get out of your head when you know what has happened to them.”

Sadly, despite an appeal for information, the RSPCA was unable to trace who abandoned the puppies.